Support the Disarm Hate Act
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committed](https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hcs1317pp.pdf) against communities of color, religious minorities, LGBTQ people, and other minority groups. Guns are a common weapon of hate: from 2010 to 2016, more than fifty thousand hate crimes involved a firearm. Yet, because of a dangerous loophole in federal law, people convicted of hate crimes can legally purchase and possess firearms in many states. Federal law prohibits people convicted of felonies or domestic violence-related misdemeanors from owning guns. However, this restriction does not apply to individuals convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes. Consequently, amid a mass shooting crisis and a consecutive three-year increase in the frequency of hate crimes, people with histories of hate-motivated threats and violence continue to easily obtain deadly weapons.
The Disarm Hate Act (H.R. 2708/S. 1462) would close the hate crime loophole by prohibiting individuals convicted of violent hate crime misdemeanors from purchasing and possessing firearms. Introduced by Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), the Disarm Hate Act is currently in committee in both the House and the Senate. Call your representative now to demand support for this bill, a critical step towards preventing the growing spread of violence against our communities.
